Cinderella's Twist

chapter sixteen: guess who i have to fucking marry?

I open the fridge and take out the chilled coffee I already know my mom made for me last night and fill it with ice. I grab my car keys off the rack and walk back into the foyer.

"On your marks, get set, go!"

If only I could explain how truly, truly entertaining this stupid game is, I would. But words can't explain how indescribably hilarious my brothers are when they are trying to avoid water balloons that are literally falling from the sky while sliding around in fuzzy socks that i'm sure are our moms and their arms flailing around.

"You guys are stupid," i say laughing. "I'm going through the garage, bye!"

"Bye Lynn!" Sanders calls. "You just broke every single rule in one step, Freddy. That's eighteen points!"

I shake my head and smile as I walk into the garage and unlock my car and get inside. I pull out my phone and call Tonya since she's closest so I'm picking her up first.

"Helloooo it's Tony!" she says. I love when she answers the phone like this. She never looks at her caller ID she just answers the phone like so.

"Hey, T I'm three seconds away for pulling in your driveway and oh, I'm here. let's go," I say and hang up.

Tonya is rushing out trying to get her purse to stay on her arm as she gets in the passenger seat and let's out a huff. "Tragedy struck."

I back out of the driveway. "Excuse me?"

"Tragedy. This is the first year that Lydia can't come with us to get pampered and pick out our costumes this year. She said get her a witch costume because she has to handle something important and the meet her back at her house," Tonya says.

"That's so weird. She would fight her parents to get them to let her go," I say and take a sip of my coffee.

"I know right. It's ridiculous. She sounded super rushed over the phone too and she called at the literal crack of dawn. It was weird," Tonya whispers the last part and chugs her water.

Somethings wrong.

****

I had my hair blown out and it looks sooooo freaking good. I also had it pinned a certain way because I'm going as cinderella. Well, like a really ratchet version but whatever. Tonya wants to go as gamora from guardians of the galaxy. Geek. But she looks really good. We already are in full costume so we walk into Lydia's house since I have a key.

We walk upstairs and into her room. Lydia is in bed wearing sweats a sweatshirt and her hair is a mess.

"Lydia what the hell is wrong with you?" I ask sitting down on her bed next to her and Tonya sits next to me.

"My parents are forcing me into an arranged marriage." She sobs and throws herself into my lap.

Tonya and I both freeze and look at each other.

"Um what?" Tonya asks as if it isn't clear.

"You heard me Tony shut up," Lydia bitches.

"Lydia why is this even happening?" I ask.

"My dads business is failing and he needs a partner and since I already agreed to run the company after high school, it seemed only fitting. At least according to my mother. She has plans and visions of how gorgeous the wedding will be. It's in three months! How am I supposed to just change my annoying obnoxious parents minds in three months??" she stresses while crying into my lap.

"Well, I wouldn't want to be in the situation either but knowing your parents they won't care what you think," I try to explain to Lydia as she cries in my lap and Tonya rubs circles in her back while we sit on Lydia's bed.

"An arranged marriage! It was so spontaneous. And it's happening so soon. And you guys haven't even heard the worse part," Lydia sniffles and rubs her nose sitting up and looking at us.

Tonya and I share a look and gaze back at Lyds.

"What are you talking about, Lydia?" Tonya asks.

"Guess who I have to fucking marry?" she asks with by far the most disgusted look on her face.

"Who?" Tonya and I ask in unison.

"Jaxon fucking Collins."

Oh hell to the fucking no.